I often like to get in close, say 2 feet or so off of the other guy's bumper in order to "draft" the car and see my gas milage increase by up to 40%. Long trip, short trip, or just to the mall, me no care, me draft 'em all!!
Bumper Sticker Suggestion: Back Off - No Drafting Allowed!!
i thought i was the only one, i have dreamed about the led scrolling sign for years, have preset buttons for indicating there's something wrong w/ someones car, on up to flat telling someone off for being stupid, as well as an apologetic message in the event i have an anurism and actually do somthing inconsiderate myself
you know, i also wanted to get a PA horn hooked up to a cb back when you used to run one, i think i subconciously procrastinated in getting it because i figured i may escalate a situation to deadly road rage, but sometimes you really have a burning desire to say something don't you....
Anyone that would hit their brakes in response to a tailgator does not understand the ripple effect. The tail gator hits his brakes, not just taps them to make the lights come on. 4 or 5 car lengths back, there may easily be a rear end accident. Innocent poeple who are not tailgating but following generally too close will get into accidents. BTW it is impossible to leave enough space between vehicles because other cars just fill in the spaces. As long as its someone else that pays for it, just keep on LLC and doing those brake checks.
First off, I don't LLC, but it's been my observation that there is usually someone on the road who MUST be the leader. If traffics going 55, they must go 65. If it's 75, they must go 80. If one goes 80, this person must go 85. And on and on. Anybody else notice this phenomenon?
And then when you stop suddenly for traffic ahead their 5000 pound SUV turns your vehicle into a sardine can and leaves you with severe whiplash at the very least, possibly even more serious injuries, as well as thousands of dollars worth of body damage. No thanks, I'll make them get off me RIGHT NOW rather than wait for them to get the message until they almost hit me. I will never, EVER tolerate tailgaters. I travel I76, one of the most congested roadways in the state. You can often be going around a bend at 65 and traffic is suddenly at a dead stop, no warning whatsoever, no ability to have seen it way ahead of time because it's near impossible to see around some of those curves. And if the person behind you has been glued to your rear, there's a real good chance your two cars will become one. If I brake check and there is an accident 5 cars behind me, then that guy 5 cars back was tailgating too and and got his just deserts.
>>>>> Innocent poeple who are not tailgating but following generally too close will get into accidents<<<<<
Ummm, ok, maybe the definitions have changed and following too closely no longer = tailgating.
By the way, recently I have found that simply sticking my hand out the sliding rear window and calmly waving people back while gradually slowing down is pretty effective at making people back off. REmember PAt, I am never, EVER tailgated when the roads are clear because I'm either in the right lane or doing well over 80 mph passing cars on the left. IT happens most often in slower traffic where all lanes are doing 60-65 mph for as far as the eye can see but MR. or Mrs. I'm so special thinks their time is more important and they think if they ride 3 inches away from the car in front of them long enough then the magic traffic fairy will suddenly give their car the ability to fly over all the congestion and get them where they need to go on time.
Leaving work and heading home on the "I" I observed a car passing on the right shoulder. He then zips from the shoulder across 3 lanes of traffic all the way into the left lane and proceeds to dart his way in and out of the lanes. I didn't have a cell phone or I would have reported him. I drove on another 10 miles to my exit. When I pulled off the exit HE was stopped at the light in front of me. All that dangerous lane changing and he got to come to a complete stop one minute before me.
I hate to be sexist, OK I don't hate it, but I generally see young women performing the most frequent and unnecessary lane changes. I once observed a young lady doing constant lane changes in heavy traffic. After about a half hour of this, she was still only right in front of me. NOTE TO FREQUENT LANE CHANGERS: you do not need to turn your head completely around when changing lanes to your right. If I can see your face through your back window you've turned your head too far. You do not need to see BEHIND you - that's what your rear view mirror is for.
In commuting traffic on Interstate Highways, if you try the 2-3 second rule for following a car, I guarantee that someone will pull in that space. You can not avoid "following too closely to the car ahead" because that car is always pulling in from some other lane, too close in front. The lane hoppers are the worst. So if tailgating is following too closely because the anal pore in front of me pulled in too close, then I am a tailgator. The anal pore is the tail gatee. That is what high beams and fog lights are for, so they can now see me. I must have been in stealth mode without them. .
IF someone wants to be in front of me and they're fairly courteous about it I let them. Then I just back off a bit more and continue to keep a safe distance. I don't know what your problem is with letting other drivers in front of you, but so long as somebody is leaving a reasonable distance when they change over and I have fair warning, I have no problem letting others in.
Maybe that's why everybody gets so frustrated in traffic. I know it's one of the things that drives me nuts, these drivers who don't think other cars have the right to enter their lane at any time, so they make sure to stay less than a car length from the car in front at all times and accelerate even closer if they see anybody even looking towards their lane, cause we all know those lane changers have to be stopped! Sometimes I know it's difficult, and I have to actively remind myself that slowing to let someone into my lane every now and than really doesn't cause me much time and pays dividends in helping maintain the peace. Don't get me wrong, if someone's trying to bully their way through and cut me off I dont let them disrupt my normal driving pattern, but I dont see how a car coming into the lane in front of me really harms me in any meaningful way.
When you try to shut out those looking to change lanes others are unable to make their turn, get over to reach their exit, pass slower cars, etc...This makes things more frustrating for you if you try to block out someone like me at a time when I absolutely have to get over for one reason or another, because you'll find that one way or another they'll end up in front of you whether you like it or not. And you'll just end up giving yourself more of a reason to be mad.
My suggsetion is to lay back, relax, wave someone in front of you every once in awhile. My rule of thumb is that if you find yourself constantly trying to prevent other drivers from doing things rather than trying to make it easier for them, you're probably giving yourself unnecessary stress.
I agree with you. Even if it is fairly obvious that I am behind some folks in the left lane in front of you; if a vehicle behind me indicates that he wants to pass, I get out of their way when safe. Then if I wantI can move back in behind him and tailgate!? (I dont recommend this, it is a joke)
If there is no traffic, I almost always get out of an overtaking cars' WAY long before he CAN pass or practically, is within legal and safe following distance. I don't NEED some guy 3 feet off my rear bumper to know that he wants to pass! I think those that do should wake up and use the rear view mirrors!!! AND do the correct thing. I know this is probably too much and too difficult thing to ask!! This is probably why it is perfectly legal to pass on the right!
What you are saying is true in an ideal world, but this is not an ideal world... if you tried driving like on on Rt 17 in NJ for example, you might as well stop the car and get out because you would never actually move forward.
If you leave more than a car length between yourself and the person in front of you (sometimes even less) someone *will* cut in front of you, usually without trying to match speeds, which means you have to slam on the brakes starting a potentially dangerous cascade. In some situations, the *safe* way to drive is to, within limits, drive in such a way that is technically tailgating.
If you don't adapt your driving to the road conditions, you are a danger to yourself and others.
The smoother heavy traffic moves, the safer it is for everyone. Folks that change lanes (or several lanes) at the last minute or feel they have to constantly change lanes to keep in the fastest lane are a detriment to everyone's safety. A lot of the lambasting of LLCs that goes on here are actually describing traffic conditions that are too heavy for exercising good lane 'discipline'.
The beltway around DC is a great example...left exits, right exits, multi-interstate interchanges, non-stop construction projects, and confusing signage if you're not familiar with the road. This is an impossible road to reasonably expect lane discipline unless it is in the wee hours of the morning.
As congestion increases when it gets to the point that lane changing is difficult then the lane changing (even for a good cause) disrupts the flow of traffic. At that point, it is better to get in a lane and stay there. This is something often learned by experience, maturity, or additional responsibilties...some time you need to drive in a manner that is best for everyone on the road and not focus on optimizing your own driving experience. I do recommend using some judgement about what lane you decide to use long-term...don't pick the left lane unless you are willing to keep up with the top 10-15% of traffic speed-wise.
Courtesy pays big dividends in keeping traffic moving smoothly. One of my pet peeves is folks that refuse to zipper merge. If someone is parked on my bumper to prevent someone from getting in front of them I'll often ease up a bit so I can let 2 cars in.
I don't mind letting people zipper merge...unless I notice in my rearview mirror that they have pulled out of the lane I am in to zip to the "front" of the line.
If you keep backing off every time someone cuts in front of you in commuting traffic on an Interstate (I-495 around DC is a good example) You will have to put it in reverse, Now that is a novel idea. I am very tolerant of those with out of state tags and unfamiliar with the area. But there are those that I see every day that hop lanes trying to get one car length ahead one car at a time in two different lanes, maybe 3. I try not to tailgate, because tailgating reduces my options in driving. But trying to leave the proper space only invites lane hoppers to fill in that space. Maintaining the proper following distance is impossible. That space I try to leave just plain fills up with cars. It is not possible to leave the proper distance and move at all. BTW this is every lane, not just the left lane.
I'm in complete agreement with Pat84. If you leave enough space, people will cut in front of you. Even if you don't leave enough space, people will cut in front of you. Whenever I'm on I495 outside DC, I try to walk the thin line between tailgating and following more closely than otherwise.
I remember PAt and certain others on here lambasting me before for intentionally closing the gap to try to block out people weaving in and out of traffic and trying to cut me off, and now it seems like we're condoning that very same thing.
That's one of the things that leads people to LLC, not wanting to have to deal with road conditions, just staying in one lane at one speed and ignoring the rest of the world.
There are some roads where you need to space yourself at (1 carlength + 2 feet) from the person in front of you, to prevent offering temptation to idiot drivers who would cut you off in a heartbeat if they thought it would work (i.e. drivers on Rt 17) and would then cause horrible braking cascades that would get the person 4 cars behind you rear-ended.
There are some roads where you can and should space yourself properly, by-the-book, and if someone is driving aggressively just let him through.
Just like you can't drive the same way in clear weather and snow, you can't drive the same way on a normal open road and on a madhouse.
I do not close the gap to keep other drivers out. That is dangerous and may incite road rage. I am just stating that on certain Interstate roads, during rush hour, it is impossible to maintain the two second rule from the car ahead of you. There is always a car moving into that space. It is a never ending process. Many times the left lane comes to a complete stop because that is where most drivers seem to congegate. I am of the opinion that the left lane should never stop and should continue to move even during rush hour. That is not the case. So many drivers are cutting into the left lane that it stops, mostly due to the ripple effect, and the center lane moves along faster than the left.
cruise control is for the vehicle, not the driver. Conditions change (weather, congestion, the cars around you) and if the driver is on auto-pilot mentally, they are going to become a hazard to others.
What's needed by you folks who drive in severe conjestion, is an urban assult type of vehicle for commuting. My vehicle of choice would be an old International or Suburban, but any big, old beater will do. Take off the bumpers and bolt on 2x6s so when someone cracks into you, you just replace the board. People will often give a large beater more room than a nice new car. They will also be less likely to dip a fender towards you hoping you will brake to avoid hitting them. Another nice benefit of this type of vehicle is that you don't worry about where you park. Stop the car and let the door rip:-)
I did once own an old beater of a Jeep. I had 2 x 6 s with quarters of old tires bolted on the front bumper. I had a trailer hitch that protruded out the rear. It was easy to intimidate other drivers. I would never have done that when I was 18 years old and felt indestructible.
with temporary wood bumpers and no hubcaps for maybe a three month wait. My father drove a 46 Chrysler Royal w/o hubcaps, but was lucky to have the real bumper. The dentist next door had wood bumpers for quite a while. Ah nostalgia.
So in other words, you advocate what I do. In certain congested conditions where changing lanes does nobody any good, make sure you dont give others the opportunity to do it to you.
I was behind an Enterprise rental being driven very slowly and erratically today on a highway. The driver looked and behaved as if he had just flown in from a third world country, and had learned how to drive a car by watching it on television. Besides swaying back and forth in his lane and driving 15 mph below the limit, his wipers would go one for ten seconds, then later his right turn signal would go on for ten seconds. I think he was just overwhelmed by the experience of actually driving, sort of, a car in America.
What's even more interesting is that my girlfriend saw a car and driver of the identical description enter a freeway the wrong direction via an exit ramp. He realized his error and made a U-turn. Must have been the same guy.
I feel sorry for the guy. I feel even more sorry for anyone he directly or indirectly kills as a result of his utter incompetence.
Also, I saw another car fluttering around in its lane driven by a jackass moron who had a thick Yellow Pages-sized book open and laying on his steering wheel, pointing out parts of it to his passenger.
Right north of Oldsmobiletown (Lansing), there was a bunch of trucks and SUVs (about four or five, if you include the fool in the Jeep) blocking all the lanes going the speed limit or slightly less. After miles of this rolling cellphone party, I managed to pass them (no thanks to their "so what we are blocking all the lanes, we're driving Ford F-150s and Dodge Rams, it's our right")... at which point they sped up to me and rode my bumper, trying to ride me off of the road.
Definitely "inconsiderate" although that's a very nice word for blocking lanes deliberately and playing around with your cellphone while people need to pass.
They might well have been all in on a conference call. That kind of game, having a few cars linked together with some kind of radio working together to do some kind of mischief is really nothing new.
You can block a road, screw over some driver by boxing him in so be can't take his exit, whatever. Call the state police, works around here.
Starting to see how annoying frequent lane changers in heavy traffic can be more and more. The funniest ones will try to fly by on your right, miss their chance, slow down, get back behind you, try to fly by on your left, get caught up, slow down, get back behind you, tailgate you, repeating the process over and over and forcing each lane to their left and their right to stop suddenly every time they see that one gap that might get them ahead of everyone else. One lady came up fast in the far right lane, cut off a tractor trailor, veered over another lane to get to the far left, and generally kept doing the same stuff. Meanwhile I stayed in the middle lane and actually made forward progress, watching her cut from lane to lane repeatedly as she disappeared in my mirror. Some people just dont get traffic strategy. There's times when a few quick, strategic lane changes will get you away from a congested throng of cars, and times when all that constant work of changing lanes and bullying your way through traffic gets you absolutely nothing except into even more traffic.
through MA, NY, PA, VA, TN and NC, I can report that the absolute worst bunch of mind-numbing, going-nowhere, LLCing driving amateurs we encountered were in Tennessee, mostly in Knoxville, but all the way to Gatlinburg. All it takes in Knoxville is about 30 cars with brain-dead drivers, and a handful of over-engineerd traffic signals to create gridlock.
was another example of one of my pet peeves. It was dark and foggy on route 2, the scenic 2 lane road. I was driving just below 50 heading home from Rockford, an Altima gets on my tail so close that I cannot see his headlights over the tail gate. Passing lane comes up, I move to the right, he blows past me then slams on the brakes.
Following me, with my tail lights to guide him, and the hole my truck made in the fog made him think I was going too slow. After passing me, he finds his head light do not handle fog as well as mine, and he can only go 40. I stopped and topped off my half filled tank at Grand detour. There is a long passing lane 1/2 mile ahead over the bridge, but I was tired of looking at him.
She lives in a little town outside Knoxville called LaFollette. My mom is now considering a move down there (wants to be close to aging grandparents). The prospect scares me.
Sorry, missed your Garndma. Bet she's an interesting woman. Your Mom would probably love it down there, what with the sloooooow moving traffic, and Dollywood just down the road.
A few weeks ago I was driving on the Jersey Turnpike and encountered someone in a silver Prelude who was both aggressive and timidly incompetent at the same time. Very odd and annoying combination.
When I first encountered him was on a 4 lane stretch, I was in the leftmost lane passing folks (of course). He came up from behind in the rightmost lane (the other passing lane) at a very high rate of speed, cuts across one lane then another and passes me one lane to my right. But there's a car in his lane a couple hundred feet ahead that we're both gaining on, he somewhat faster than I, but at the time there was more than enough room to move left in front of me (and the speeds would have matched nicely). Instead, he slams on the brakes and matches speeds with the car in front of him, so now I'm moving faster than he is. And he waits there. And then just at the very last second he cuts in front of me, moving slower than me, so I'm forced to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting him. Idiot. Then he zooms off. Don't worry, I saw him again.
Next time I saw him was on the Turnpike extention on my way to the Bayonne Bridge, on that little bridge to Jersey City. Climbing the bridge, he was a couple of hundred feet ahead of me (all that crazy-stupid driving and that was the best he could do?) when all of a sudden there is this eruption of what looks somewhat like mist, somewhat like blueish/grayish smoke up ahead in my lane. It cleared fairly quickly, but I got out of the lane anyway, just in time to see the same Prelude, this time pulled over to the right on the shoulder with smoke pouring out of it. It seems his engine didn't like him any more than I did.
But I never saw him accelerate suddenly. The only time I saw him accelerate it was much slower than I would have liked. Crazy driver weaving through traffic at high speed with bad depth perception and can't shift... sad.
The engine in the model he was driving has a pretty good reputation. But between abuse, lack of maintenance, possibly poorly thought out mods...
I thought it was really cool that something took him off the road without requiring there to be a pile of flaming wreckage somewhere.
Fairly recently, driving along Western Ave in Cambridge (which is a perfectly straight 2 lane wide one way road that goes for maybe a mile, between Central Square and the Charles River) a saw a bright red Karman Ghia, in rather nice condition. That was the cool part.
The not cool part is that he was driving very slowly, yet every time someone tried to pass him he would physically block them. For a good percentage of the length of the straightaway he drove straddling the white line, blocking both lanes. Slowly.
I don't understand it myself. If you're going to spend money restoring an old car, why drive it like you're trying to wreck it?
Saw it on the license plate holder of a CRV (LLCing, of course!) "The closer you get, the slower I go" Now, why on earth would anyone encourage road rage like that? On a similar note, my aunt got one of the first PT Cruisers - you know, back when everyone wanted one and nobody could get one. She got a license plate holder that said something like "Like my car? Dial 1-800-YOU-WISH". The really funny part was when she would complain about getting the bird all the time. Well, duh!
Comments
"If you can read this, you are TOO CLOSE".
Shame on me, I could actually read it...
Does it say: CAUTION RIGHT LANE CAMPER!
(find your own damn camping area?)
Bumper Sticker Suggestion: Back Off - No Drafting Allowed!!
TB
you know, i also wanted to get a PA horn hooked up to a cb back when you used to run one, i think i subconciously procrastinated in getting it because i figured i may escalate a situation to deadly road rage, but sometimes you really have a burning desire to say something don't you....
karz
As long as its someone else that pays for it, just keep on LLC and doing those brake checks.
>>>>> Innocent poeple who are not tailgating but following generally too close will get into accidents<<<<<
Ummm, ok, maybe the definitions have changed and following too closely no longer = tailgating.
By the way, recently I have found that simply sticking my hand out the sliding rear window and calmly waving people back while gradually slowing down is pretty effective at making people back off. REmember PAt, I am never, EVER tailgated when the roads are clear because I'm either in the right lane or doing well over 80 mph passing cars on the left. IT happens most often in slower traffic where all lanes are doing 60-65 mph for as far as the eye can see but MR. or Mrs. I'm so special thinks their time is more important and they think if they ride 3 inches away from the car in front of them long enough then the magic traffic fairy will suddenly give their car the ability to fly over all the congestion and get them where they need to go on time.
I hate to be sexist, OK I don't hate it, but I generally see young women performing the most frequent and unnecessary lane changes. I once observed a young lady doing constant lane changes in heavy traffic. After about a half hour of this, she was still only right in front of me. NOTE TO FREQUENT LANE CHANGERS: you do not need to turn your head completely around when changing lanes to your right. If I can see your face through your back window you've turned your head too far. You do not need to see BEHIND you - that's what your rear view mirror is for.
So if tailgating is following too closely because the anal pore in front of me pulled in too close, then I am a tailgator. The anal pore is the tail gatee. That is what high beams and fog lights are for, so they can now see me. I must have been in stealth mode without them. .
Maybe that's why everybody gets so frustrated in traffic. I know it's one of the things that drives me nuts, these drivers who don't think other cars have the right to enter their lane at any time, so they make sure to stay less than a car length from the car in front at all times and accelerate even closer if they see anybody even looking towards their lane, cause we all know those lane changers have to be stopped! Sometimes I know it's difficult, and I have to actively remind myself that slowing to let someone into my lane every now and than really doesn't cause me much time and pays dividends in helping maintain the peace. Don't get me wrong, if someone's trying to bully their way through and cut me off I dont let them disrupt my normal driving pattern, but I dont see how a car coming into the lane in front of me really harms me in any meaningful way.
When you try to shut out those looking to change lanes others are unable to make their turn, get over to reach their exit, pass slower cars, etc...This makes things more frustrating for you if you try to block out someone like me at a time when I absolutely have to get over for one reason or another, because you'll find that one way or another they'll end up in front of you whether you like it or not. And you'll just end up giving yourself more of a reason to be mad.
My suggsetion is to lay back, relax, wave someone in front of you every once in awhile. My rule of thumb is that if you find yourself constantly trying to prevent other drivers from doing things rather than trying to make it easier for them, you're probably giving yourself unnecessary stress.
I agree with you. Even if it is fairly obvious that I am behind some folks in the left lane in front of you; if a vehicle behind me indicates that he wants to pass, I get out of their way when safe. Then if I wantI can move back in behind him and tailgate!?
If there is no traffic, I almost always get out of an overtaking cars' WAY long before he CAN pass or practically, is within legal and safe following distance. I don't NEED some guy 3 feet off my rear bumper to know that he wants to pass! I think those that do should wake up and use the rear view mirrors!!! AND do the correct thing. I know this is probably too much and too difficult thing to ask!! This is probably why it is perfectly legal to pass on the right!
What you are saying is true in an ideal world, but this is not an ideal world... if you tried driving like on on Rt 17 in NJ for example, you might as well stop the car and get out because you would never actually move forward.
If you leave more than a car length between yourself and the person in front of you (sometimes even less) someone *will* cut in front of you, usually without trying to match speeds, which means you have to slam on the brakes starting a potentially dangerous cascade. In some situations, the *safe* way to drive is to, within limits, drive in such a way that is technically tailgating.
If you don't adapt your driving to the road conditions, you are a danger to yourself and others.
The beltway around DC is a great example...left exits, right exits, multi-interstate interchanges, non-stop construction projects, and confusing signage if you're not familiar with the road. This is an impossible road to reasonably expect lane discipline unless it is in the wee hours of the morning.
As congestion increases when it gets to the point that lane changing is difficult then the lane changing (even for a good cause) disrupts the flow of traffic. At that point, it is better to get in a lane and stay there. This is something often learned by experience, maturity, or additional responsibilties...some time you need to drive in a manner that is best for everyone on the road and not focus on optimizing your own driving experience. I do recommend using some judgement about what lane you decide to use long-term...don't pick the left lane unless you are willing to keep up with the top 10-15% of traffic speed-wise.
Courtesy pays big dividends in keeping traffic moving smoothly. One of my pet peeves is folks that refuse to zipper merge. If someone is parked on my bumper to prevent someone from getting in front of them I'll often ease up a bit so I can let 2 cars in.
Nope, I am after the honest to goodness LLC: the one who does it by choice or ignorance, not the one that does it due to traffic.
I try not to tailgate, because tailgating reduces my options in driving. But trying to leave the proper space only invites lane hoppers to fill in that space. Maintaining the proper following distance is impossible. That space I try to leave just plain fills up with cars. It is not possible to leave the proper distance and move at all.
BTW this is every lane, not just the left lane.
There are some roads where you need to space yourself at (1 carlength + 2 feet) from the person in front of you, to prevent offering temptation to idiot drivers who would cut you off in a heartbeat if they thought it would work (i.e. drivers on Rt 17) and would then cause horrible braking cascades that would get the person 4 cars behind you rear-ended.
There are some roads where you can and should space yourself properly, by-the-book, and if someone is driving aggressively just let him through.
Just like you can't drive the same way in clear weather and snow, you can't drive the same way on a normal open road and on a madhouse.
I am just stating that on certain Interstate roads, during rush hour, it is impossible to maintain the two second rule from the car ahead of you. There is always a car moving into that space. It is a never ending process. Many times the left lane comes to a complete stop because that is where most drivers seem to congegate.
I am of the opinion that the left lane should never stop and should continue to move even during rush hour. That is not the case. So many drivers are cutting into the left lane that it stops, mostly due to the ripple effect, and the center lane moves along faster than the left.
I would never have done that when I was 18 years old and felt indestructible.
What's even more interesting is that my girlfriend saw a car and driver of the identical description enter a freeway the wrong direction via an exit ramp. He realized his error and made a U-turn. Must have been the same guy.
I feel sorry for the guy. I feel even more sorry for anyone he directly or indirectly kills as a result of his utter incompetence.
Also, I saw another car fluttering around in its lane driven by a jackass moron who had a thick Yellow Pages-sized book open and laying on his steering wheel, pointing out parts of it to his passenger.
Definitely "inconsiderate" although that's a very nice word for blocking lanes deliberately and playing around with your cellphone while people need to pass.
Sometimes I wish I had more torque. >:(
You can block a road, screw over some driver by boxing him in so be can't take his exit, whatever. Call the state police, works around here.
Meanwhile I stayed in the middle lane and actually made forward progress, watching her cut from lane to lane repeatedly as she disappeared in my mirror. Some people just dont get traffic strategy. There's times when a few quick, strategic lane changes will get you away from a congested throng of cars, and times when all that constant work of changing lanes and bullying your way through traffic gets you absolutely nothing except into even more traffic.
Cheesh!
Following me, with my tail lights to guide him, and the hole my truck made in the fog made him think I was going too slow. After passing me, he finds his head light do not handle fog as well as mine, and he can only go 40. I stopped and topped off my half filled tank at Grand detour. There is a long passing lane 1/2 mile ahead over the bridge, but I was tired of looking at him.
Harry
;^)
A few weeks ago I was driving on the Jersey Turnpike and encountered someone in a silver Prelude who was both aggressive and timidly incompetent at the same time. Very odd and annoying combination.
When I first encountered him was on a 4 lane stretch, I was in the leftmost lane passing folks (of course). He came up from behind in the rightmost lane (the other passing lane) at a very high rate of speed, cuts across one lane then another and passes me one lane to my right. But there's a car in his lane a couple hundred feet ahead that we're both gaining on, he somewhat faster than I, but at the time there was more than enough room to move left in front of me (and the speeds would have matched nicely). Instead, he slams on the brakes and matches speeds with the car in front of him, so now I'm moving faster than he is. And he waits there. And then just at the very last second he cuts in front of me, moving slower than me, so I'm forced to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting him. Idiot. Then he zooms off. Don't worry, I saw him again.
Next time I saw him was on the Turnpike extention on my way to the Bayonne Bridge, on that little bridge to Jersey City. Climbing the bridge, he was a couple of hundred feet ahead of me (all that crazy-stupid driving and that was the best he could do?) when all of a sudden there is this eruption of what looks somewhat like mist, somewhat like blueish/grayish smoke up ahead in my lane. It cleared fairly quickly, but I got out of the lane anyway, just in time to see the same Prelude, this time pulled over to the right on the shoulder with smoke pouring out of it. It seems his engine didn't like him any more than I did.
The engine in the model he was driving has a pretty good reputation. But between abuse, lack of maintenance, possibly poorly thought out mods...
I thought it was really cool that something took him off the road without requiring there to be a pile of flaming wreckage somewhere.
The not cool part is that he was driving very slowly, yet every time someone tried to pass him he would physically block them. For a good percentage of the length of the straightaway he drove straddling the white line, blocking both lanes. Slowly.
I don't understand it myself. If you're going to spend money restoring an old car, why drive it like you're trying to wreck it?
"The closer you get, the slower I go"
Now, why on earth would anyone encourage road rage like that?
On a similar note, my aunt got one of the first PT Cruisers - you know, back when everyone wanted one and nobody could get one. She got a license plate holder that said something like "Like my car? Dial 1-800-YOU-WISH". The really funny part was when she would complain about getting the bird all the time. Well, duh!
-Jason
yikes.